Category: Type

Good Judgment Requires Consideration

You’ve heard the phrase “use your best judgment” before, but have you thought about the process to make a “best judgment” decision? Judgment is defined as “the ability to make a decision or form an opinion; reached after consideration”. Judgment is one of The Nine Core Values that we emphasize in our programming here at The First Tee of Silicon Valley. Using good judgment is very important in golf. It comes into play when deciding on strategy, club selection, when to play safe and when to take a chance, and the type of shot players consider executing.  The First Tee of Silicon Valley classes include fun and educational games that are activity-based with continuous learning where our coaches intentionally bridge what they learn in class to life experiences.  Our curriculum teaches participants that they should take into consideration the consequences of their decisions or opinions. We train them to begin by gathering information from multiple sources. Then deliberate the information by weighing the pros and cons. Finally, make their decision or form their opinion based on what they have learned through the information gathering and deliberation process. The First Tee of Silicon Valley provides a unique youth development program providing high quality educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values, and promote healthy choices seamlessly through the game of golf. Consider registering your child in a class, becoming a volunteer or supporting our non-profit youth development organization.    

PGA TOUR Superstore Club Drive November 9th

Did you get a new set of clubs? Bring your used clubs to the PGA TOUR Superstore in East Palo Alto on Saturday, November 9th from 1pm to 5pm. Collecting used clubs enables The First Tee of Silicon Valley to pursue our mission to impact the lives of under-served youth by providing education programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.  These donations allow us to provide the necessary equipment for those on financial assistance to participate. Bring your used clubs in good condition and less than 10 years old to the PGA TOUR Superstore (1751 East Bayshore Road, East Palo Alto, CA  94303) on Saturday, November 9th from 1PM to 5PM. We are collecting:
  • Clubs: full sets, usable drivers/putters/fairway metals, and iron sets (Junior sets preferred)
  • New bags, balls, towels, tees and ball markers
We are not able to collect clothing (hats, shoes, socks, jackets) or equipment (pull/push cards, training aids, travel bags, used bags).

Winter Class Registration Opens October 9th for New Participants

The First Tee of Silicon Valley online registration for new participants opens on Oct. 9th at 10am and for returning participants on November 6th. Classes are 1.5 hours in duration for 8-weeks beginning the week of December 2nd (2 weeks break 12/23-1/4). Classes are offered at Rancho Del Pueblo Golf Course in San Jose, Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto, SportsHouse in Redwood City, and Gavilan Golf Course in Gilroy. In each certifying class (PLAYer, Par, Birdie, Eagle) participant will learn a life core lesson and a golf fundamental through games and activities. In addition to our certifying classes, we are excited to offer our skills advancement classes including STEM, Golf Play, Golf Rounds, and Golf Practice which are designed to help golf skill progression. We encourage participants to take both a skills advancement class and certifying class to maximize golf and life skills development in a season!

Sign up to Volunteer Coach

Do you want to mentor youth? Do you enjoy golf and want to give back? Join our team as a Volunteer Coach! Complete steps 1-9 on our volunteer page by 11/15 and attend our in-person training on 11/23 to volunteer for our Winter Season (12/3 – 2/8). Why Volunteer?
  • Make a positive impact on participants
  • Assist in establishing a supportive environment for a child’s success
  • Be a role model and mentor
  • Assist in developing leadership, interpersonal, and resiliency skills
  • Give back to your community
  • Meet and join other like-minded coaches in Silicon Valley
  • Learn and develop coaching techniques
“Community is a living organism that must be fed. I look forward to every opportunity to interact with participants and their families as we all grow together through the program.” Coach Jeffy “Coaching is wonderful way to spend time. It combines some of my favorite things – teaching golf, being outdoors, and inspiring youngsters to be their best.”  Coach Molly

The First Tee of Silicon Valley attends Back to School Community Events

In August, The First Tee of Silicon Valley attended Back to School “Maze Days” at Taft Elementary and Hoover Elementary, as well as a Backpack Giveaway event at KIPP Excelencia in Redwood City. Later in the month TFTSV participated in Back to School nights at Washington Elementary and Empire Gardens Elementary in San Jose. TFTSV set up an informational booth for parents and students to learn more about our program and register for our upcoming 8-lesson session. In addition, the Parks and Recreation department of Redwood City passed out our marketing collateral to 4 other Redwood City schools during their respective Back to School days. Thanks to the efforts of the Police Activities League Redwood City, Parks & Recreation of Redwood City, our staff, and the school officials from Hoover, Taft, KIPP, Washington, and Empire Garden Elementary we were able to have our highest registration to-date for the upcoming Fall Session. “We are fortunate to partner with outstanding organizations and schools that welcome us to their community and encourage collaboration. We look forward to continuing our goal of introducing more families and students to our programs and supporting our local community,” said Chris Moreno-Hunt, Program Manager.

Record-Breaking Fall Registration

The First Tee of Silicon Valley has achieved the most registrations ever in a season with over 600 participants currently enrolled in this Fall’s classes! TFTSV has been visiting schools, performing clinics, and participating in outreach events to recruit students to attend classes. We have made a significant push to increase enrollment along the Mid-Peninsula at Baylands Golf Links in Palo Alto and SportsHouse in Redwood City. Through the support of our sponsors and 125 volunteers, TFTSV has been able to reach this record and to build the capacity to accommodate this record-breaking number of students. The First Tee of Silicon Valley owes a sincere thank you to SAGA Foundation led by President, David Bartoshuk for their generous $100K donation to further develop TFTSV program in the Palo Alto-Redwood City area and participation at Baylands Golf Links. The SAGA Foundation assists nonprofits to work smarter, reach further, and have a lasting impact. They stand out in their unique approach as both supporter and partner. Expanding TFTSV’s reach into Redwood City and other cities of southern San Mateo County requires solving some key problems and overcoming some notable challenges. In parallel to their donation, SAGA Foundation made strategic introductions for TFTSV in Redwood City, including to Parks & Rec, Sheriff’s Activities League, and Police Activities League. These new community partnerships with youth-serving organizations have laid the foundation for TFTSV’s program expansion at Baylands Golf Links to ultimately teach life skills to over 1,000 youth there annually. In addition, such partnerships will lead to TFTSV’s programs reaching at least 5,000 more youth beyond the golf course in school and after school. “We are fortunate to have an all-star staff working diligently to meet our goal of enrolling over 600 participants in the Fall. A special thank you to Lina, our Operations Assistant, who called hundreds of low-income families to recruit them for our Fall Season,” said Matt Sheppard, Program Manager.

Meet TFTSV’S New Board Member

The First Tee of Silicon Valley recently added a new Director to our Board in August. Lucas Watson is the Chief Marketing Officer & General Manager of Ridehail Business Unit at Cruise in San Francisco. He previously worked as EVP/CMO at Intuit, VP at Google, and Global Marketing Director at Procter & Gamble. Lucas has been in corporate leadership and sales positions his entire career with deep experiences across Consumer Products, Retail, Media, Technology, and Saas driven business at the Fortune 500 level. https://www.linkedin.com/in/watsonlucas/ Lucas said, “I like that The First Tee grows the game of golf. As a member at Stanford and Sharon Heights, I know I am fortunate and feel strongly that we need more women and minorities to benefit from the game of golf. It has taught me wonderful things about relationships and perseverance, etiquette and fighting through challenges.” Lucas has a passion for giving back and golf. His 3-year Director them is through 2022. Board Directors vote, provide planning, performance, legal and financial oversight and raise sufficient funds to ensure TFTSV’s success. Board Ambassadors give advice, assist with projects, represent the organization in the community at events, help raise funds, and expand TFTSV’s network throughout Silicon Valley and beyond. Click here to meet all our Board Members. Contact Judy Dixon if you have interest in learning more about a volunteer Board opportunity.

2019 Adult & Junior Tournament

On August 17th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted our annual Adult & Junior Tournament at Rancho Del Pueblo golf course.   The event commenced with our participants meeting their adult playing partner and learning new things about each other. Nineteen participants were paired with a parent, guardian, or a TFTSV mentor in a 9-hole alternate shot format.   Congratulations to all of our participants for competing with honesty, integrity, and sportsmanship. Special thanks to Lee’s Sandwiches for donating a healthy dinner to the participants! The 2019 TFTSV Adult & Junior Tournament is a valuable event for our students to bond with a mentor or family member in a safe golf environment.  This specific tournament helps promotes the “Family” aspect of our Healthy Habits.  Our participants are more likely to succeed in achieving their goals when our family and mentors engage in conversation, share a meal, and participate in their seasonal events.  

2019 Summer Girls Golf

On August 17th, The First Tee of Silicon Valley hosted our Girls Golf Summer Play Day.  With 22 Girls Golf members, we enjoyed nine holes of soccer golf.  With the theme being centered around the “friends” aspect of Healthy Habits, the girls were tasked with working together in a hybrid sport that they haven’t experienced. Once soccer golf ended, the girls attempted to complete our Mission Imputtable game.  In teams of four, the girls were challenged to complete each putting course in 4 putts or less.  Each hole contained obstacles to test their perseverance.  These types of challenges promote exploring the game, learning new golf rules, and overcoming challenges together. The day concluded with brunch provided by Rancho Del Pueblo golf course. Girls Golf Play Days are beneficial events where our female participants enjoy an all-female day with friends and a supportive group of coaches and volunteers.

TFTSV Bridges the Gap

Some major challenges facing public schools are: Classroom Size, Poverty, Family Factors, Bullying, Student Attitudes and Behaviors, and Student Health. The First Tee of Silicon Valley’s youth development program helps bridge the gap by teaching our participants The First Tee Nine Core Values, Nine Healthy Habits and 4 Life Skills for use both on and off the course. Our coaches work with the students to help them apply what they learn in their golf class to their school life. The games in our classes are designed to be fun, educational and promote self-discovery. Our 3 tips for having fun are Be Patient, Be Positive and Ask For Help which we encourage participants to take to the classroom too. From Grades 2 through 12, youth progress through 5 different levels of age appropriate First Tee curriculum and are required to pass an assessment to progress. All participants start at the PLAYer level regardless of age. The pinnacle of The First Tee is completing Ace and The First Tee of Silicon Valley is very proud of our 56% retention rate – one of the highest amongst all First Tee chapters across the US. Here is a snapshot of what Life Skills our participants learn at each level:
  • PLAYer (2nd grade & up) – Tee up for the first time and learn the game of golf and The First Tee’s Code of Conduct: Respect for Myself, Respect for Others and Respect for my surroundings.
  • Par (3rd grade & up) – Focus on interpersonal and self-management skills on and off the course.
  • Birdie (5th grade & up) – Emphasis on setting goals and making them a reality.
  • Eagle (7th grade & up) – Learn resilience, conflict resolution, and future planning.
  • Ace (9th grade & up) – Put it all together and hone in on setting goals, career, education, and giving back to the community.

Mentors and Instructors Attended Training

Saturday, August 28th saw 20 mentors attend the pre-fall season training. The mentors that attended were 10 adults and 10 juniors (under 18); 12 were new to volunteering and 8 were returning volunteers. Coach Matt and Coach Chris led the training with a mind towards coaches noticing where the participants are in their Comfort/Stretch/Panic zone.  Understanding these zones goes a long way towards building rapport with the participants and helping them to feel comfortable in class. The mentors took turns being the coach then the participant as they walked through a weekly lesson using the Try-Show-Try-Play model. The fall instructor meeting was attended by 12 of the fall coaches and focused on the fall goal of “Be more intentional with your coaching.” The instructors made and flew paper airplanes to demonstrate learning through doing vs learning through showing.  They discussed the FAR method – Focus, Ask, Reward, and how this can help students understand both the golf skills and the core values each week. The instructors also reviewed the parent/participant survey results from the Summer season. The results showed an increase over previous seasonal survey in these areas:
  • “I intend to take another class.”
  • “I had fun.”
  • “I felt part of the group.”
  • “My coach cared about me.”
Mentors
Instructors

TFTSV Attends the AACSA Block Party

On Saturday, August 3rd, the African American Community Service Agency (AACSA) in partnership with the Antioch Baptist Church presented the block party at 6th and Julian Street in San Jose.  The church celebrated 125 years this year. The event had bounce houses, face painting, community resources, food, a DJ and more.  Mayor Liccardo stopped by to tour the church and meet with the community members. The First Tee of Silicon Valley had a booth and games set up for attendees to try out golf. We had volunteers Trevor, Krisha, Twish and Linette on hand to show folks how to hold the clubs and play the games. They passed out a choice of TFTSV-branded fanny or back packs to the high score getters of the day. “Community events such as this are wonderful ways to introduce folks to the game of golf while supporting our community.” Said Julie Donnellan, Operations Coordinator.